Cre­at­ing a Com­fort­ing Den­tal Expe­ri­ence: What Your Den­tist Can Do to Help

Creating a comforting dental experience can help you to relax and remain calm during your treatment. This isn’t just for your benefit, it can also help your dentist. A calm patient is much easier to work with as they are less likely to flinch or make sudden movements.

If you’re ready to overcome your fear of the dentist, read on to learn more about what your dentist can do to support you.

Overcoming your dental phobia

First things first, you need to decide that you want to face your fears. If you have been avoiding treatment due to your fears, the first step is to speak to your dentist. Discuss what caused your fear and see if they have any suggestions about how to make the dental experience more comfortable for you.

For example, if your fear developed after a previous bad experience at the dentist where you experienced unexpected pain, your dentist can agree to go slowly through treatment and check in to make sure your tooth is completely numb before proceeding.

If you are afraid of needles, your dentist can take steps to hide this from you and employ distraction techniques while they administer needles so you don’t have to feel afraid.

Adapting the dental experience

There are many different ways to approach a dental appointment. Some people prefer to be able to switch off and pretend they are somewhere else. For these patients, it could be beneficial to listen to music during the appointment or watch something on TV.

Other patients want to be kept in the loop and information about what is going on is the most comforting for them. For these patients, dentists need to be vocal about what is happening and make sure they are communicating throughout the treatment.

Some patients dislike the sight of needles and can benefit from distractions while these essential parts of the appointment take place.

Adapting the dental experience is all about understanding what makes you uncomfortable and then working with your dentist to help address this issue. There is nearly always a way to help put nervous patients at ease, it’s just a case of understanding the root cause of the fear.

Oral conscious sedation

For patients who struggle to even get through the door, it can be comforting to use methods like oral conscious sedation. This is a pill you can take before your appointment that will help you to feel more relaxed and calm. It doesn’t put you to sleep, so you’ll still be awake and able to respond to your dentist. However, you will feel a lot more relaxed and calm.

Dental checkups during pregnancy

When you are pregnant, it’s essential that you visit the dentist for check ups as your pregnancy hormones can put you at an increased risk of oral health problems. However, it can be uncomfortable to visit the dentist while pregnant. Lying on your back for too long can be uncomfortable for you and a risk to your baby, so it’s important to get your check ups done in the first or second trimester.

If you’re uncomfortable during your appointment, always speak up. It’s always possible to take a break, or find a more comfortable position before continuing.

Final thoughts on creating comforting dental experiences

Creating a comforting dental experience is not just in the best interests of the patient, it also benefits the dentist and their team. When patients are put at ease in the dentist’s chair, they are much more likely to stay still and not make any sudden movements.

Patients with high blood pressure are at greater risk of complications if their blood pressure spikes during a dental procedure. As you can see, keeping patients comfortable is about so much more than just easing dental anxiety.